Glucosamine versus placebo—dead even - treatment of osteoarthritis - Brief Article

Running & FitNews, Dec, 2001

In one of the first clinical trials performed in the United States, glucosamine sulfate failed to outperform a placebo for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Nearly a hundred patients were randomly assigned in a double-blind trial of glucosamine (500 mg pills three times a day) or a placebo for two months. Participants were being treated for osteoarthritis of the knee prior to the study. Pain perception was measured at rest and while walking for baseline, 30 days, and 60 days. The results of the study showed no statistical difference between the two groups--glucosamine did no better than the placebo.

This study is in contrast to results of a major review of the literature, which reported at least moderate effects in the control of arthritis pain, comparable to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs). The significance here is that the final word is not out on glucosamine for the treatment of arthritis, and this illustrates just how hard it is to prove that a medical treatment is truly effective. So many qualifiers and variables make indisputable answers very elusive. More research is needed before a definitive conclusion can be trusted. Until then, remember that significant side effects have not been reported, so if you hay found relief for your symptoms, glucosamine may still be a better bet than the regular use of NSAIDs, which can cause side effects.

(Western Journal of Medicine, 2000, Vol. 172, pp. 91-95; Journal of the American Medical Association, 2000, Vol. 283, No. 11, pp. 1483-1484)